


dead feeling

by orphan_account



Category: Mother 1 | EarthBound Zero | EarthBound Beginnings, Mother 2: Gyiyg no Gyakushuu | EarthBound, Mother 3
Genre: Alternate Universe, Family, Fluff, Kinda, M/M, Mother 3 Spoilers, Post-Canon Fix-It, a little angsty, claus pov, kinda going off about cyborg stuff idkkk, post Mother 3, tiny cameos of other mother characters, uhh, yeah!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-06
Updated: 2020-02-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:27:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22580986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: claus doesn't know how to deal with these troublesome feelings. he recalls the day he met this mysterious boy with a hold on his heart.
Relationships: Claus & Lucas (Mother 3), Claus (Mother 3)/Ninten (Mother 1)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 43





	dead feeling

**Author's Note:**

> soo  
> this has been buried in my drafts for like.. forever. and i just have to put it here. it was supposed to be a multichap fic featuring some slowburn ninten/claus while also going into the traumas and hardships from the events of mother 3  
> but i kind of lost motivation, didn't want this buried in my docs without being shown to at least /somebody/ so 
> 
> nonetheless, i hope you enjoy it! unbeta'd, if there are any mistakes, my apologies.
> 
> all you need to know is that in this au, claus is brought back to life, but he doesn't remember anything before his time with porky.  
> some warnings: maybe a small bit of body horror, talk of enslavement(?? ) (thanks porky)
> 
> (hope the fic isn't too cheesy haha. this ones kind of a doozy, i didnt really revise it beyond a few spellchecks)

Feelings are vague. Confusing. Frustrating. They’re unpredictable- and unhelpful. They just make everything so..needlessly difficult.

It all started with one boy. All of these unnecessary and confusing feelings. He was not equipped to deal with them.

Claus tried to recall the exact moment when he started..”feeling” this way. It was as if his body was malfunctioning, or rather a short circuit within the wires of his nonexistent heart. Convincing himself he was really feeling anything was a difficult task all on its own.

Sure, he asked Lucas a few times. Every time he felt his body heat up involuntarily, or each time he found his normally precise mind...muddled. He wondered aloud, in their ever silent home; “Have you ever felt the same way, Lucas?”

Most of the time, Lucas responds with a sarcastic quip. Unhelpful, really. Sometimes he'd laugh, and reply. “Do you have a crush?” And he'd ask it with a growing smirk on his face, endless amusement for Claus's plight. But Lucas seemed happy to indulge in Claus's hard to place feelings. It seemed distracting himself with things that didn't involve his own feelings was much more preferable.

So Lucas asked him questions. Lots of questions. Like, “Do you start to sweat easily?” or “Is it someone in our biology class?” The latter inquiry usually asked with more excitement. He was both helpful yet a nuisance at the same time, asking prying questions whenever Claus thought he was done with them.

But it was useless to lie about such things.

So he told Lucas about the boy from Art class. His odd and strange niche interests. His easygoing and light attitude. His warm eyes and calm disposition. His dwindling performance in the class, and the teachers quite noticeable grudge on him. Even his similarity to Lucas's friend, Ness.

Suddenly, Lucas understood.

“..Ninten?” He guessed. Claus nods.

That boy. That's the one.

Lucas suddenly looks- surprised. Like he didn't expect it. It shouldn't have been too odd, thought Claus.. they usually spend some afternoons together or talk for a long time after class. The four- Claus, Ninten, Ness and Lucas all shared their biology class together. Though Claus likes to keep up with class and get his work done, the material is rather easy to keep up with. Too easy, really. He uses the extra time to talk to Ninten.

“Him, huh? ...I never noticed.” Lucas says. Claus can hear something in his voice...but can't really place it. He wasn't really emotionally inclined like his brother was, after all.

Still, Lucas looked upset.

Claus didn't like to see him that way.

Claus tries to get Lucas's mind off it. For some reason that expression gets to his inner wiring.

“Yes, it’s him. Can you put a name to this feeling?” Claus asks, matter of factly. And just like that, Lucas seems to have snapped to attention again. His brother stares blankly before chuckling and rolling his eyes. “Oh boy…you think he's cute, Claus.”

Claus can suddenly feel the heat run through his cheeks again. “I..think he’s…?”

Of course he knows what cute means. Of course he knows what love is, and of course he correlates every sensation and bodily reaction he's had over this with such a feeling. But it still doesn't feel real.

Lucas harshly laughs at Claus's flustered state, such a rare thing from the normally stoic and emotionally stunted cyborg.

Claus suddenly feels a little silly, asking Lucas things he already knew the answer to. Still, it helped to hear it aloud. Claus rubs his left eye- the one with the obvious metal plating and piercing red eye. He could feel the wires beneath push and hum, sending the sensations that simulate a “blush” to his cheek.

His body supposedly doesn’t lie...but still, he wondered if this truly meant he felt something..for Ninten.

Claus could still remember the day he and his brother had moved to Onett. The small and friendly town of Eagleland, or so they say…

He remembers sitting in that car with Flint and Lucas. He wasn't used to this ..”family” dynamic. From the moment he was active the only thing he could ever remember doing is serving his- former master Porky, fetching his drinks and putting down anyone who opposed him. He could remember the exact layout of the headquarters, the endless maze that was New Pork City. Each neon sign, every name of every single Pigmask that ever served Porky's name.

Claus didn't really have room to think about anything else- just..porky, porky, porky, porky…

It took awhile for Claus to catch up with his current situation. For an amount of time unknown to him, he had been wandering around in a bright room. A white void, where the only thing he could hear was his mechanical heart beating within him; an unnatural and unwelcome sound.

When suddenly- he felt something take a hold of his mechanical hand.

He couldn't remember after that point. Not until he later woke up in a stranger's house. Or, his..”father's” house. He had to remind himself every day. That man, Flint, was his “father.” The boy, Lucas, was his “brother.” Twin brother, to be exact. “Hinawa” was his deceased mother. She made omelettes like no one could, only Lucas rivaling her iconic recipe. Or so Lucas told him. His brother had explained a lot- things about himself that he couldn’t even remember. He was apparently very hot headed, and liked to do work around the farm..?

Lucas even told him his name.

“Claus.”

Not “slave”, “robot”, or “toy.”

...It was hard to get used to. He had a true name, and a family. He was once a strong willed yet much too hasty energetic boy.

He couldn’t really see it. But that is what his Brother had told him. So it must be true.

His ..”father” had very little to say. It seemed he was disappointed that this “Claus” wasn't the one he wanted. That is fair. After all, even Claus didn't feel like..”Claus.” He could never measure up to such a self assured person.

Still, to their father's credit, he tried. It was pretty obvious that Claus still felt like a stranger to his father, but they were able to maintain a civil relationship. The feeling was mutual anyways, Claus didn't feel much about their estrangement. Even so, the same couldn't be said for Lucas.

See, Lucas made him feel different. Though he didn't mind his distant relationship with his father, he had this growing desire to be closer to his brother as each day passed. He felt something tangle in his wires, a strange longing for a better connection. So he did every small thing that his metallic heart was capable of to make that happen. Of course, it was easier said than done...even now, Lucas’s mind seemed to be preoccupied. No time for twin brother things.

Understandable. Lucas had other things to worry about.

Needless to say, It was difficult to adjust to being his own person. Making his own decisions, deciding how he himself feels.

It's probably why he went to Lucas about this in the first place. To tell Claus what he's feeling is real.

Lucas and his bright laugh trails off, and he clears his throat before facing Claus again proper. “Alright…so..well, are you gonna ask him out or…?” He asks, eyes still alive with amusement.

Claus isn't happy to be the one receiving those amusing looks, but he can't deny the joyful thrum of his heart from seeing Lucas so carefree.

But the question Lucas asks causes him to pause.

The first answer that popped into his head? Of course not. But why did he think that? Wasn't it more advantageous to confess these strange feelings before anyone else had the chance to?

Yet, he still couldn't budge from that thought.

“I'd prefer to do it at another time.” He slowly says, as if his thoughts had really made it hard to talk. Lucas stares at him for a good while before sighing. It seems even he couldn't make fun of Claus all day about this. “Yeah, yeah, take your time.” He looks down at the floor, contemplating something. “Hey, just curious, but uh, when did you start...?” Lucas says, waving his hands around to convey Claus's seemingly random crush.

Claus tries to recall, just exactly how his feelings came to be. How confusing and strange it got…

Lucas didn't even think Claus was really capable of feeling something like a crush. It was stupid to think that way. Of course he could. He isn't all robot….

Lucas mentally chastises himself for thinking that way, and listens.

\--

It wasn't their first day, no. Hardly. Lucas and Claus had a rough start with high school. They simply weren't used to the concept. It took a while to adjust.

Lucas couldn't really get over the ridiculous eight hours a day thing. Trying to absorb that much information in such a long stretch of time? It was impossible for students to retain so much when everything was crammed together like that.

For Claus, it seemed he was quite knowledgeable in most of the subjects. Things like the sciences, or mathematics. Such information was already programmed into his database. He had no need or desire to sit through information he didn't need. But Flint insisted. He said, “You'd oughta get the experience.” in that ever so common quiet voice of his nowadays. Claus relented, but mostly because he didn't want his brother to go through such a new experience alone.

Lucas agreed. “You really need to be in a social setting again…”

And so, he was going to high school.

Their new house in Onett wasn't unlike their previous home. Though a bit run down, it still had this cabin like quality to it that was pretty similar. Flint had said it felt a bit more like home.

Claus didn't feel the same nostalgia. But their father's normally cold demeanor had loosened a considerable amount since Claus had “come home,” so to speak. So he welcomed the change. Lucas seemed a bit happier too, at the fact.

Claus had been growing his hair out even before they moved to Onett. He didn't really think about hygienics when he had been getting used to his new, non slave life. He took showers, of course, and other basic things of the sort. But he didn't really care to keep his hair cut its usual length. He didn't have any desire to have a cut too similar to that old “claus’s” either. He didn't want to remind everyone of what they already lost.

His hair grew, and grew. Eventually he used his newly grown bangs to cover the biggest abnormality of his face- his left eye. With the metal plating and dark sclera sticking out like a sore thumb, it was much easier to hide it in a way where it was natural. As opposed to, an eye patch or something. That would just stick out too much.

Of course, when he did so, his brother didn't hesitate to call him… emo, or words of the similar variety.

For the rest, he simply had a wardrobe full of jackets and hoodies; or anything with long sleeves to cover his arm. Lastly, he wore white gloves- so his hand wasn't noticeable either.

It wouldn't do him any good to stand out too much. Drawing unwanted attention would just make life at school much more difficult, for him and his brother. This was the best he could come up with on such short notice.

Lucas seemed to agree, too. It would also be hard for Claus to fit in, he said. Not that Claus cared too much about that part, but...

Getting to the point..their first day was pretty standard. Embarrassing class introductions and occasionally rude high school students taking turns snickering at the new kids. Lucas, of course, was already prepared for these things. Just the night before he had told Claus many things he should expect when attending a new school.

“So, I googled Top ten things to expect from high school. Given that we've uh...never been to any public school before.”

It all seemed to come naturally to Lucas. It was always like his brother was just effortlessly confident. Insults rolled off of Lucas like waves, like they didn’t really have any effect at all. Lucas was strong in many ways that Claus admired, and his emotions were strong, being felt by everyone in a single room.

Claus, on the other hand….It was as if he was created to bring silence to a room. No one was picking on him, but no one was super eager to approach him in general. He did expect this, (after all, even Pigmasks couldn't bring themselves to approach him. It was almost comparable to still being the commander, really.) But it didn't make it any less underwhelming. People wrote him off as weird, or intimidating. Again, not a surprise.

But people left him alone. And maybe that's the best he'll get. With time, though, people began to ease at his presence. He was rarely the mysterious, never speaking new kid anymore. He didn't raise his hand often- having no need to- but when teachers thought they caught him off guard, he could answer their questions correctly. Naturally, this started to give him a reputation of being a..know it all. (As Lucas calls it.)

It wasn't intended. But now the schools commonplace bullies and mischief makers weren't taking a liking to him. That's fine. He didn't really need their approval.

People assumed he looked down on them. But they'll always have the advantage for having true feelings, whether they're for good or bad intentions.

But..things began to go in a different direction when he meets a certain someone.

It begins during his break between Lunch and art class. Lucas and Claus go their separate ways, having classes at basically the opposite ends of the school. Claus really only shares two classes with his brother, so it gets kind of miserable. Without his brother to talk his ear off in classes, it gets difficult listening to teachers lecture about things you know the ins and outs of.

Makes him almost want to fall asleep, though of course that'd be rude…

But anyways, as he looks toward his class, he gets stopped. By two boys he doesn't really recognize. He didn't bother trying to memorize anyone. No one really stood out.

“Hey, you're one of the new kids, right? Claus..something or other?” A chubby boy asks, ginger hair almost covering his eyes. In a way, it kind of reminded him of Porky-

The kid beside him was very skinny- like a beanstalk. He had golden hair, and slouched as he stood. The two made a rather funny pair- to him.

The polite thing would be to answer honestly. “Yes. It's Claus.” He says,

The beanstalk like kid snorts- as if the answer itself is a joke. The chubby boy nods, pulling something out of his jean pocket. A permanent marker..?

Chubby boy gets in his face. “Okay, well, “Claus”, is it true that you'll whatever anyone says even if you don't know them at all? Okay then! There's this rude little punk always pushing me and my friend around. We just wanna get revenge. You're fine with that, right? You get that we're in the right this time. We're not the bullies here.”

The boys word vomit must've been intentional, Claus could rarely keep up. But he realized just from the boy's tone, his demeanor, trying to push Claus into a corner-

It was rather obvious what kind of person this boy was. Still, Claus peered down at the marker in his hand. What was he supposed to do? Decimate the kid's locker?... Why was he even listening?

He was just used to it. The orders came clear, with even the nasally voice to accompany the command. It was all too easy to fall back into that habit, that give and take exchange. He does everything he needs to, and Porky would take care of him-

He almost nods in agreement, before he hears a voice from across the hallway. It was at this moment that Claus realized- he was going to be late to class.

“Hey! What are you trying to do..!?” The mysterious voice rings out through the empty hallway, bouncing off of each locker.

Claus spots the boy, approaching as carefully as he could. He wore a baseball cap, but facing backwards, letting a small tuft of his jet black hair poke out. He also wore a crimson red bandanna on his neck, almost fluttering in the nonexistent wind.

Much like a hero, thought Claus.

The boy with the ruffled hair had quite the commanding voice, though. It was as if it was made to bring all attention to him. But Claus could tell, he was nervous. His legs shook ever so slightly, his eyes just a bit too wide. Claus kept expecting the boy to drop to his knees, with the sweat dripping down his forehead at a massive rate. But he never did.

The chubby boy must've been referring to getting revenge on this particular boy, because he raises his voice in a way that suggests the deep hatred he had for the black haired boy in front of him. “N..Ninten..!? Skipping class are you? Don't worry, I got a new minion doing all the dirty work for me now! This is for tattle tailing on me last week like a coward! Ruin that locker!” The boy suddenly turns to Claus, pointing his finger toward the locker in front of him.

But Claus knows to hesitate this time. Ninten (?), the boy this bully wanted to sabotage was standing right there. It'd just be rude to do that where he could see.

“Leave him the hell alone, Nelson. You probably gave him the damn spiel about me being the true big bad bully or whatever. Why don't you just let go of your ridiculously idiotic grudge already?” Ninten speaks his mind, glancing at Claus every few minutes. He pretty much hit the nail on the head.

Claus feels his body relax. It seems Ninten understood he didn't mean harm.

The bully beside him grumbles, deciding it isn't worth the effort this time. He snatches the permenant marker out of Claus's hands before storming off with his only minion in tow. Not before writing a quick “Loser” onto Ninten's locker, with rather illegible handwriting.

Ninten lets out a breath. Clearly he’s not used to doing what he just did. Claus turns to look at him. This boy had just helped him not get roped into “bullshit”, as Lucas would put it.

He could recall his brother telling him something almost exactly like that; “Don't let overrated bullies rope you into bullshit. You're smart. You can tell who's trying to manipulate you and who's not.”

Though, Claus is starting to wonder if he really doesn't mind being manipulated like that. He almost messed up this time, with his lapse in judgement.

As Ninten relaxes, he gives Claus a small smile. “Your next class- it's art, isn't it? With Ms. Mulberry?” He asks, calm demeanor radiating within the room.

Claus nods. “It is. How did you know?” He couldn't help but ask. He's never really seen this “Ninten” before today.

Ninten laughs, but it sounds kind of exhausted. “We share that class, you know!”

Unfortunately, Claus couldn't recall seeing him at all during that time. But this boy noticed him..?

“Oh..we do? My apologies..” Claus did feel bad. He didn't mean to ignore him, or anything.

Ninten's eyes widen- like he didn't expect that response, and suddenly he looks a lot more relaxed again. “Nah, that's okay! It's nice to officially meet you though! You probably know my name already, but…”

He trails off, extending his hand. “I'm Ninten. It's nice to meet you!”

Claus wouldn't lie and say he wasn't a bit taken aback by the boy's eagerness, but… he takes the hand, marking this as the first handshake he's had since the beginning of the year. “It's..nice to meet you too. My name is...Claus.”

It's not often he got to speak it aloud, taking in his true name. It mostly feels foreign, yet fits him perfectly. It was truly complicated. But Ninten seemed to like it, because he started saying it...a lot.

“Well, okay! Let's walk to class together, Claus! We may be late, but that's okay. Ms. Mulberry will understand….” The boy likes to talk, but that was fine. He was a better listener, anyway.

\--

Ninten was chatty. He liked so many things, and had the same amount of passion for each of them. But in art class, he was different.

Different in the way of being mostly silent. See, Ninten's passion never left him, no matter what he did. But art was something he seemed to take very seriously, and it had a place in his heart and no other subject has been able to reach. This passion leaked into his art, leaning into very abstract ideas that he could only convey through the thousands of colors and lines and shapes he could throw on a single canvas.

Claus only really took this class because it was required, really.

Though he was objectively good at “art”, having been programmed with the ability to paint any moment of real life like a photograph. You gave him an object, and he could paint it perfectly, every shadow, every color, every highlight, all down to the last detail. But his art was undesirable to himself. He didn't mind the praise from other kids in class, but his mindless brushstrokes could never compare to the things Ninten's art made him feel.

Made him feel...even such a thing as a painting could do that to Claus- he’s still not sure how.

Ninten’s art had something Claus's didn't - heart.

And passion, of course...it was something Ninten enjoyed.

And Claus liked to watch him draw. It was nice to see the normally super chatty boy so silent- drawn to his work- completely focused in it. It made the wires in his arm feel .. like they could untangle at any minute.

Ninten hums almost silent tunes to himself. It's hard to hear, but Claus's enhanced hearing helps with that problem. He rocks and back forth as he paints, almost as if he was painting to a certain rhythm. Claus can't help but rock back and forth too….

Ever since their first meeting, they spent most of the time talking in art class. It's just the best common ground they had. And Ninten was happy to talk about his drawings with his new friend.

Though they shared two other classes together, it was hard to find the time to really talk to each other in them. And even Ninten seemed much more nervous in them compared to the one class where he could truly thrive.

It was nice.

“Hey, Claus, umm, I know this might not seem like you, but I promise, it is you.” Ninten says, turning the easel to face his companions direction.

Claus looks at the piece- nothing is really formed yet from what he could see- all he saw was dabs of oranges and blacks and greens. One of Ms. Mulberry's assignments was to draw a classmate- naturally Claus and Ninten had chosen each other. The art teacher was happy to see Claus, a new student, making such a good friend so quickly. She wasn't afraid to sing her praises of Ninten high- happy he enjoyed art as much as she did.

Claus wasn't particular passionate about art, but he was happy just to be able to draw Ninten anyway. His small smiles were nice to capture on a canvas.

Ninten probably had a much deeper concept for his friend, which was nice to anticipate. “It's fine. Your process is strange, but you seem to make it work.” Claus says.

Ninten laughs, but returns to work as soon as possible. Not one to disturb his friend in such a state, Claus lays his head on their shared table, dozing off.

The black haired boy waits a moment before checking on his friend, smiling fondly at his sleepiness.

If there was something Ninten liked, it was animals. And there were a lot of animals. Not just one or two, nah. He had a heart for anything.

Two weeks into their friendship, Ninten told Claus that he's a telepath.

Claus doesn't laugh or wait for a punchline. Though the energy had certainly escaped him in their first encounter, he had always sensed it. This world was no stranger to PSI, and this school certainly wasn't. The muddled combination of all types of PSI blended into each other every time Claus and Lucas boarded the bus. It made it hard to pick out each individual psychic, and his brother had said it wasn't worth looking into if no one posed a threat. Claus was reluctant to agree, but… he'd deal with it. The constant psychic buzzing within his head was starting to give him a headache, though.

Even in a class where he couldn't sense a drop of psychic energy, he could hear the passing telepathic conversations in his head. Sometimes across classrooms, or even the school.

Faint hints of:

Hey, did you do the homework last night?? Please tell me the answer to 2C because I really don't know!!!

and-

Did you just do the whole worksheet and not that single question what?

followed by-

I skipped it because it was too hard but then forgot I skipped it and forgot to go back and do it and please tell me he's about to call on me oh god

...and conversations of the like.

Sure, they were amusing and provided a great distraction from some very boring classes- too much can give a boy a headache. Even a cyborg boy.

Needless to say, he saved Ninten the trouble of being unnecessarily skeptical.

“I see...then you are able to tell what animals are saying, correct?” Asks Claus, already knowing the answer.

“Y...Yeah! But uhh..you're not surprised? Or..not second guessing?” Ninten says nervously, eyes darting a bit.

“I am a bit surprised. But I know you have no reason to lie about such a thing. So I believe you.” He wasn't really surprised, but this had to be believable.

Ninten looks relieved, shoulders relaxing. “Sweet! I always get nervous telling people, but...uh.. you're..different? Well no it's just been awhile since I've talked to someone new I think, you must know Ness right?”

Claus remembers. He briefly spoke of the boy to Lucas, also pointing out the psychic bubble he seemed to possess. Lucas mentioned finding common ground with the boy purely on PSI, so he started talking to him. (Though Claus was mostly happy his brother was finally making a friend.)

“I do.” He answers. Claus couldn't help but wonder though, why Ninten was feigning ignorance. He could sense Claus's PSI too, right…? So why is he acting like he has no idea Claus could use it too?

“Well, he's a...not a long term friend but like, he was the only person I talked to for a while? Besides my own group of friends, you might have seen them. Lloyd and Ana?” Ninten wonders, looking over with questioning eyes.

Claus nods. He does remember them. The duo seemed nice, making him feel welcome at their table. But he didn't want to intrude much, opting to just sit alone instead. (Lucas was usually nowhere to be seen during their Lunch period.)

But that makes sense. Ness and Ninten's similarities usually make them butt heads, but the fact that they both had PSI might've helped create a deeper understanding of one another. Most people with PSI had their own stories to tell, after all.

Ninten nods back. “Yeah! So it's..cool to share it with you too, Claus!” He smiles earnestly, making Claus look away, but only for half a second. Breaking eye contact is rude.

“I'm honored that you trust me.” Claus says, not even realizing his tone. He truly is happy about that. It almost seemed like he'd never come to that point- with anyone really. If Ninten extended that much vulnerability to Claus- trusting he'd never tell- is this the next person he'd give his life to…?

But the thought comes to a screeching halt, remembering his Brother's words within their old shared room. That Claus didn't serve anyone. Not his father, not his deceased mother, and not even his twin brother. You don't serve me, Claus, so stop acting like you do. You're my brother. Not my slave.

The words echo in his head, like a haunting lullaby, telling him the opposite of everything he's ever known.

Lucas had snapped at him. But for good reason.

Ninten smiles. Claus feels a pang in his dead heart.

“I guess you're just very relaxing..? I don't know. Sounds silly, but…” Ninten trails off, feeling rather unsure.

“I understand.” Claus says. It wasn't silly. Not at all. The compliment compromises his ability to maintain eye contact. Hes relieved when it seems like Ninten didn't need any more words than that.

Ninten feels embarrassed, Claus can tell. He changes the subject to the reason why he told his friend of his telepathy. Animals. Ninten was sure he was fine tuned to most of them. He enjoyed conversing with them, offering bits of conversation to anything.

“Do you have a favorite?” Claus asks, curious.

“Hmm..animal? No brainer...the penguin! See, penguins are pretty fascinating. See, they don't care about the fact that their wings had evolved into flippers. Because they own it.” Ninten suddenly balls his hands into fists, clearly more excited than his usual. “They show every other bird out there that they can swim and those fools up there in the skies playing it safe, can't! Those birds probably poke fun, like hey, why do you have flippers for wings? Well, who cares! Says the penguins. And they can really take the cold, too. There just isn't a contest. They're cool. Pun intended.”

Now even that gets a small chuckle out of Claus. Still, Ninten's enthusiasm is simply unrivaled by any other. But the explanation made him think of the black haired boy in front of him. Like he's being looked down on by everyone, but he finds it in himself not to care.

It's pretty cool.

“I'm glad.” Claus wasn't good with words, but he was hoping the expression on his face was enough. Ninten's burning passion was easy to get swept in. Ninten beams, as if Claus had given him the world.

“But aside from that...they usually have the most interesting things to say. I go to the Zoo sometimes...to hear what animals are saying. To hear how they're doing, what they think, their opinions on humans...they're sometimes glad to see someone can understand them.” Ninten smile relaxes at this point. “Most penguins tell me tales of confusion when born. They often wonder as a bird, why they couldn't fly. Or..I have a beak too! So let me soar! And stuff. When I come back the next day, they usually discover their passion for swimming.”

The animal seemed rather influential in Ninten's daily life. Claus takes note of it for later.

“...But thanks for listening to me ramble about stuff like this, hahaha. I've no doubt it must be exhausting to listen to.”

Claus couldn't help but feel his wires bristle at the statement. It sounded almost sad, yet understanding. I'm a burden, but thank you for putting up with me.

“No...I like to hear it. I like it when you talk about things you like.” Claus says, trying to push his monotone to sound like..something, anything.  
How could he get those feelings across? How could I make him feel better? How can I tell him his interests are important?

Suddenly, Claus feels very far away. It is unfair to push his social ineptitude onto Ninten. Don't do this, not in front of him…

But Ninten already seems worried- shit.

“Claus?”

The cyborg forcefully composes himself. “Sorry. I'm fine. I like when you talk, so please…feel free to keep going.”

Ninten stares at him doubtfully, but senses his companion's distress, and relaxes himself as well.

“Well, alright. Thanks…Claus.” He says, smile bright.

\--

Art of course, wasn't the only class Claus shared with that boy.

Algebra was another one. It was...primitive, really. The questions and concepts were so easily understood because of his programming- his teacher had been skeptical at first, but openly began to praise him as he started to see Claus couldn't possibly be cheating.

The praise was...surprising. Yet, he couldn't help but want more of it. It reminded him of doing a good job as the commander- the open praise, the familiar head pats-

He thought of Lucas, wacking him on the head for having such thoughts.

As for Ninten….the class being a struggle for him, was an understatement. Claus felt bad for looking down on the class before, not everyone was so lucky to have this understanding quite literally installed into them. Not to mention...the teacher had a bit of a...hostile attitude toward Ninten. It wasn't outright, no...not so obvious.

It was all...subtle. Claus hadn't even bothered to remember this teacher's name- it wasn't worth it to invest interest in something he already knew.

But the small things were noticeable. Ninten is very sharp, but he does daydream in class. Specifically, this class. It makes sense. Ninten even admitted to having the biggest weakness in math- he absolutely loathed the subject for being too difficult to understand. In contrast, Claus didn’t have much strong feelings for it at  
all. They were just more problems he had to solve.

His daydreaming often leads to their instructor bothering him constantly- from yelling his name across the room to slamming rulers or books to grab his attention.

“Seriously?” He recalls Ninten’s rant from the other day. “Does he understand just how terrifying that is? When some- random loud noise just-!” He sighed loudly.

Claus was inclined to agree. Though he was trained to handle sudden movements- it's still not fun to be on the receiving end of a surprise attack.

“I think he has it out for me. I swear. He's just always waiting for me to screw up!” Ninten says, wildly waving his hands around to express his exasperation.

Claus feels like he has to respond. But, he’s distracted. How long has he been staring at Ninten, again?

He sees something wave in front of his face.

“Hey, Claus? You..listening?” Ninten asks, confused.

“Oh...right. Sorry.” Claus pauses, directing his eyes to the ground. What has gotten into him..”He's rather rude. I can..help you with your homework. If you want.”

Ninten’s eyes suddenly grew very wide. Claus didn’t know what to make of the reaction until Ninten grinned at him.

“I’d love that! If you’re okay! You seem to also really know your stuff, too…” Ninten rambled.

Claus found himself feeling...different. He found himself looking forward to it, spending the day with his shorter...companion. He felt something in his chest- which was strange. He didn’t have anything in there.

“So, uh...you do have a phone, right? Ninten asked, twiddling his thumbs.

He finds himself smiling- just a bit.

It’s nothing too significant.

“I do.” He replies. They exchange numbers, and that's the end of the conversation.

For some reason, Claus was really looking forward to seeing him again.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading!!


End file.
